Shimla, Sept. 7 -- Aiming to decongest Shimla roads and boosting tourism, final approval has been granted for a 13.79-km ropeway project in Shimla. This was shared by deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri through a statement on Saturday, saying, "Final approval has been granted for the 13.79 km ropeway project in Shimla. The project, costing about Rs 1,734.70 crore, would be completed within the next four years". It would include three lines, 14 sections and 13 stations, linking the state secretariat, hospitals, schools, railway station and the bus stand. He said that under the Smart City Project, 19 infrastructure projects worth Rs 50 crore and three more projects worth Rs 25 crore would be completed in Shimla by December 2026. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, along with former BJP MP and senior leader Maheshwar Singh, met the representatives of Dev Samaj in Kullu on Saturday regarding Bijli Mahadev Ropeway to hear their opposition against the project. Extending support to the people protesting the ropeway, Thakur said, "Respecting the sentiments of local people this project was not made during the previous government". htc...